Sheet piling-supported modular wall system

ABSTRACT

The modular wall includes a sheet pile wall  12  with support brackets  20  that provide cantilever support to a facade of interlocking rows of blocks  30 - 34 . The support member  20  includes vertical members that extend from the top of the sheet piling part way down the length of the sheet piling. Base members  24  extend from the vertical members and are supported by angled braces  22 . Horizontally extending key members rest on the base members and are affixed thereto. The key members provide a key for connecting to a slot of a first row of modular blocks. The modular blocks are stabilized by geogrid  28  that is captured in the key and slot interconnection of the modular blocks and is affixed to the sheet piling  12  or embedded in concrete fill.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/371,987, filed Aug. 11, 1999 (Attorney DocketNo. 27645.99R207) and claims the benefit of the priority date ofProvisional Patent Application No. 60/096,377, filed Aug. 13, 1997(Attorney Docket No. 27645.970188).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates in general to sheet piling walls, and, inparticular, to a sheet piling supported aesthetically pleasing modularwall system.

[0003] It is highly efficient and cost-effective to use vertical sheetpiling in order to retain a bank of land, in particular a bank of landnext to an excavation or adjacent a body of water. Sheet piling is alsoused in and around harbors and canals for establishing bulkheads againstthe water. Sheet piling may also be used in highway construction forstabilizing an embankment adjacent the highway. One drawback of sheetpile construction is its appearance that is unpleasant and otherwiseunattractive. Sheet piling is made of steel and it usually rusts. Evenif it is treated with a coating or painted, such treatment requiresperiodic and expensive maintenance.

[0004] Sheet piling walls have replaced older types of construction thatincluded masonry walls with large stone and/or precast concrete blocks.Construction of such masonry walls is very expensive and time-consuming.In order to construct the wall, a temporary sheet pile wall is driven inorder to retain the adjacent water or soil. Then the area behind thetemporary sheet pile wall is excavated and the masonry wall isinstalled. The excavation behind the masonry wall is backfilled and thetemporary sheet piling wall is removed. While such walls are attractive,they are often prohibitively expensive.

[0005] Today many harbors and other waterways including canals, such asthe famous Erie Canal are being re-developed for commercial andrecreational purposes. As such, there is a demand for constructiontechniques that will create more aesthetically pleasing environments forthese reconstructed harbors and canals. As such, there has developed along-felt and unfulfilled need for a cost-effective,aesthetically-pleasing wall.

SUMMARY

[0006] The invention solves the problem of the prior art and meets itsunfelt need by providing a method of constructing anaesthetically-pleasing wall using sheet piling. The invention alsoprovides a modular wall and a modular wall bracket that enables theconstruction of aesthetically-pleasing sheet pile walls.

[0007] The modular wall of the invention includes sheet piling that isdriven into the ground along the location for the wall. The location maybe adjacent a body of water, such as a harbor or a canal or adjacent ahighway excavation. Sheet piling typically has an undulating patterncharacterized by crests and troughs. This undulating pattern makes for amore durable design against the earth and water forces that act upon thesheet pile. The invention uses the troughs that face the excavation forsupporting a support bracket that in turn supports a modular blockfacade. Support brackets are hung from the troughs of the sheet pilingand extend down into the excavation and/or below the water line of theadjacent body of water. The support brackets provide a cantileversupport for the facade. As such, the brackets include an elongatedmember that extends parallel to the sheet piling. Below the water orexcavation line the support bracket has a base member that extendstransverse to the support bracket and parallel to the length of thewall. The base member is in turn supported by a brace. The brace extendsfrom the base member to the support bracket at a position between thebase member and the top of the support bracket. In an alternateembodiment, the vertical member of the support bracket extends beyondthe base member and the brace then extends from the base member downtoward the lower portion of the vertical member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the modular wall.

[0009]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a section of the modular wall.

[0010]FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a section of the wallcorresponding to the planned view shown in FIG. 2.

[0011]FIG. 4 is a detailed view of one embodiment of a support bracketfor the modular wall.

[0012]FIG. 5 is an expanded plan view showing how the support bracket ofFIG. 4 is connected to a trough of the sheet piling.

[0013]FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment ofthe invention.

[0014]FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing how the embodiment of FIG. 6 isattached to the trough of a sheet piling.

[0015]FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the support bracket of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Turning to FIG. 1, there is shown a modular wall assembly 10. Itincludes sheet piling 12 that carries a support bracket 20 which in turnsupports a facade comprising rows of pre-cast, interlocking concreteblocks 30-34 with a capping block 38. The invention is suitable forsupporting walls adjacent bodies of water or for supporting wallsadjacent any region where the subsoil has insufficient bearing capacityto a masonry wall. The sheet piling 12 is driven into ground that isadjacent an excavation or a body of water 40. The blocks 31-34 are tiedtogether by interlocking keys and slots. Between each row of blocksthere is one or more sections of tying material 28 (geogrid). This istypically a mesh of polyethylene that covers the top of one block and isheld in place when the superior block covers the key and slotinterconnection of the lower block. The polyethylene mesh is affixed tothe sheet piling or embedded in concrete fill.

[0017] In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the supportbracket 20 includes a vertical member 21 that extends from the top ofthe sheet piling along the vertical face of the sheet piling to a pointbelow the surface of the adjacent excavation or the bottom of theadjacent body of water 40. A base member 23 extends generallytransversely from the vertical support member 21. The base member 23supports a key element 24 that secures the slot in the lower block 30.The base member 23 is a cantilever support. In order to assist itssupporting function, a brace 22 extends from the base member 23 to thevertical member 21. The brace extends below where the base member 23 iscoupled to the vertical member 21.

[0018] Turning to FIG. 2, there it is seen that the sheet piling 12forms a wall that faces the embankment 40 and presents a series ofundulations including crests 14 and troughs 16. The support brackets 20are located in the middle of the troughs 16 and the sheet piling. Thekey member 24 is a relatively narrow member that extends across threesupport brackets. In the preferred embodiment, the modular facade blocks30 are sized so that two blocks are supported by three support brackets20. The adjacent blocks 30.1 and 30.2 share a common support 21. Theadjacent blocks 30.0 and 30.1, as well as 30.2 and 30.3 have a slightspace between the sequential keys 24.1 and 24.2.

[0019] Turning to FIG. 3, the series of brackets shown in FIG. 2 arepresented in elevation form. The key support member 24 extends acrossthe three support brackets. In FIG. 4, the support bracket 20 is shownin greater detail. The bracket is made of fabricated steel and isattached to the sheet piling by either hanging or welding. In analternate embodiment of the invention a top hanger bracket 25 is mountedto one end of the vertical member 21. The base member 23 extends beyondthe crest of the sheet pile 12 at lengths sufficient to accommodate thedepth of the blocks 30-32. The blocks 30-32 have a key and slotinterlocking arrangement and the lower block row 30 has its slot lockedon the key 24 that extends over three of the base members 23.1, 23.2 and23.3.

[0020] Further details of the support member 20 are shown in FIG. 5.There, the support bracket 20 has a left rail 21(b) and a right rail21(a) that extend along an upper length of the sheet piling. The tyingmesh 28 (geogrid) is shown extending over the key 24 that rests on thebase member or over the subsequent superior keys of the modular rows ofblocks 30-34. The space between the facade of the blocks 30-34 and thetrough 16 may be filled with concrete 42.

[0021] An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6-8.Here the cantilever support 60 has a brace member 61 that extendsupwardly from the base 63 to the vertical support member 61. The basemember 63 also supports an elongated key member 64. The top of thesupport member 60 has an L-shaped coupling bracket 66 that fits over thetop of the sheet piling. A nut and bolt assembly 67 couple the topbrackets 66 to the sheet piling (not shown). Another nut and boltassembly 65 connects one end of the brace 62 to the vertical supportmember 61. As shown in more detail in FIG. 67, the vertical supportmember 61 comprises left and right hand members 61(a), 61(b) that arecoupled together by a central member 61(c). Similar details are shown inFIG. 8.

[0022] In operation, sheet piling is driven into ground adjacent anexcavation or an area to be excavated or adjacent a body of water, suchas a river, lake, canal or harbor. Support brackets 20 or 60 are coupledfrom the top of the sheet piling down along the partial length of thesheet piling. The brackets 20, 60 extend long enough to be covered bythe backfill of the excavation or by the adjacent body of water. Eachbracket includes a vertical member, a base member, and diagonal. Thus,the bracket provides cantilever support for modular blocks that areassembled on a key member that extends between two or more of the basemembers on adjoining brackets. Modular blocks with slots are placed overthe key members in sequential horizontal and vertical order. In betweenrows of blocks, stabilizing tying material such as geogrid 28 extendsbetween a key and slot and is coupled at one end to the sheet piling orembedded in concrete fill. The geogrid stabilizes the block facade 30-36so that it resists any torque that would separate the facade from thepiling. Upon completion, the excavation may be backfilled to cover thebottom of the facade. Thereafter, the resulting modular wall presents anaesthetically pleasing appearance of a masonry wall together with thestrength and convenience of assembly provided by sheet piling.

[0023] Having thus described the two embodiments of the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that further changes, modifications,additions and omissions may be made to the disclosed embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A method for constructing a retaining wall comprising the steps of:driving sheet piling into the ground to form a wall of sheet piling,attaching a facade support to one of the faces of the sheet piling at;and constructing a facade on the support to cover the face of the sheetpiling.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of constructing thefacade comprises assembling blocks of facade on top of one another. 3.The method of claim 2 comprising the further step of anchoring theblocks to the sheet piling.
 4. A method for constructing a retainingwall for separating a bank of land from adjoining water comprising thesteps of: driving sheet piling into the ground adjacent to the water toform a wall of sheet piling between the sheet piling and the bank ofland; attaching a facade support to the face of the sheet piling thatfaces the water; and constructing a facade on the support to cover theface of the sheet piling.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step ofconstructing the facade comprises assembling blocks of facade on top ofone another.
 6. The method of claim 5 comprising the further step ofanchoring the blocks to the sheet piling.
 7. A modular wall comprising:sheet piling driven into ground to form a wall of sheet piling; supportbrackets coupled to the sheet piling and extending along the length ofthe sheet piling and from one face of the sheet piling for supporting afacade; one or more rows of blocks of facade supported by the supportbrackets and covering the face of the sheet piling.
 8. The modular wallsupport bracket of claim 7 wherein the support member has a keyextending along it length for fitting into a locking slot of a modularfacade block.
 9. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein the support bracketis a cantilever support bracket and comprises a base member with aninner edge extending from the sheet piling and a angled support bracketextending at an angle from the base member to the sheet piling forsupporting the base member by transferring a vertical load on the basemember to the sheet piling.
 10. The modular wall support bracket ofclaim 9 wherein the base member has a key extending along it length forfitting into a locking slot of a modular facade block.
 11. The modularwall of claim 9 wherein the angled bracket extends toward the top of thesheet piling and above the base member.
 12. The modular wall of claim 9wherein the angled bracket extends toward the bottom of the sheet pilingand below the base member.
 13. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein thesupport brackets comprise an elongated vertical member coupled at afirst end to the top of the sheet piling extending vertically along thesheet piling and coupled to a base member extending from the supportbracket and away from the bracket and the sheet piling, and a bracemember extending from the base member to the vertical member.
 14. Themodular wall of claim 7 wherein the support brackets comprise anelongated vertical member extending vertically along the sheet pilingand coupled at a first end to the top of the sheet piling, a base memberextending from the support bracket at a location between its two endsand extending and away from the vertical member and the sheet piling,and a brace member extending from the base member toward the verticalmember and coupled to the vertical member.
 15. The modular wall of claim7 further comprising means for tying the rows of blocks to the sheetpiling.
 16. The modular wall of claim 15 wherein the means for tying therows of blocks to the sheet piling comprises a grid of flexible plastic.17. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein the sheet piling comprises aseries of undulating sheets with crests and troughs and the supportbrackets are located in the troughs.
 18. A modular wall support bracketfor supporting a facade on sheet piling comprising: an elongatedvertical member with a first end for coupling the bracket to the top ofsheet piling, a base member coupled at one end to the vertical memberand extending generally transversely therefrom, and a brace memberextending from the base member to the vertical member.
 19. The modularwall support bracket of claim 18 wherein the brace member extends to thevertical member at a location between the first and the location wherethe base member is coupled to the vertical member.
 20. The modular wallsupport bracket of claim 18 wherein the brace member extends to thevertical member at a location beyond where the base member is coupled tothe vertical member.
 21. The modular wall support bracket of claim 18wherein the base member has a key extending along it length for fittinginto a locking slot of a modular facade block.